My Alpha Wanted My Heart Ripped Out—Then Begged Me to Live

Chapter 2

Iris's POV:

By the time the procedure was over, rain had begun to fall.

A nurse draped a blanket over my knees. "Don't rush off. Rest a little longer."

I took the appointment slip for my next surgery, feeling utterly hollow.

The nurse had to call my name a second time before I looked up, dazed.

In seven days, I would receive my artificial heart.

My phone rang just as I reached the hospital entrance.

Cornell's voice came through the moment I answered.

"St. Clair Club. Ten minutes. You know what happens if you're late."

I could barely stand through the pain, but I couldn't afford to let him suspect anything.

Just seven more days. That was all I had to endure.

I folded the surgery form, tucked it deep into my bag, and hailed a cab.

The moment I opened the door to the VIP room, a billiard ball came flying straight at my face.

I stumbled backward into the doorframe. Pain exploded through my nose, leaving it numb, and blood trickled down my chin onto the cream-colored carpet.

Someone let out a whistle.

"Damn, Cornell. You called it. It really was her."

I pressed a hand over my bleeding nose and waited for the dizziness to subside before approaching him.

Cornell's shirt hung open, a lipstick stain marking his collarbone.

Sienna Walsh sat on his lap, her fingers resting against his collar. She was still smiling at my disheveled appearance.

I'd seen photographs of her before. She was a student at Rainport Academy of the Arts, and lately, she'd been practically inseparable from Cornell.

Playing cards and poker chips were scattered across the table in front of him.

Cornell pointed toward a case of beer beside it.

"I lost. They want me to finish all those beers. Drink them for me, Iris."

I picked up a bottle, forced a smile for his benefit, and tipped my head back.

The icy beer hit my stomach, sending a fresh wave of pain through my abdomen, which was still aching from the procedure.

I braced myself against the table, finished the bottle, and reached for another.

Then a violent spasm seized my chest. Skye whimpered weakly inside my mind. Darkness swam before my eyes.

I tried to perch on the edge of the sofa, but someone planted a dress shoe against my knee and kicked me to the floor.

My forehead struck the corner of the coffee table.

Laughter erupted around me.

"Seriously? The Alpha tells you to drink, and you think you can just sit down?"

I planted my palms against the floor and struggled to rise.

Then Cornell abruptly set down his glass.

"Enough."

His Alpha aura swept through the room with crushing force.

The man who'd been laughing the loudest immediately bowed his head and put down his drink.

Cornell approached, helped me to my feet, and even brushed the damp hair away from my forehead.

For one fleeting moment, I remembered how patiently he'd helped me learn to walk again after the accident.

I couldn't help looking up at him.

But Skye whimpered uneasily, just as she always did when Cornell reached toward me, afraid he was about to grab me again.

Then Cornell produced a dark blue velvet box.

Inside, a sapphire ring gleamed beneath the lights.

He dropped to one knee before me and looked straight into my eyes.

"Iris, will you become my Luna?"

The man who'd kicked me hurried to his feet. Everyone else stood too, their mocking smiles vanishing.

For the first time, they regarded me with solemn respect.

Carmelita's voice suddenly echoed in my memory. "Marry him, and we'll be a family."

I stared at the ring, my fingertips trembling.

Then Cornell's smile twisted into a sneer.

"How long have you been waiting to hear me say that?"

He stood, stepped past me, and slipped the ring onto Sienna's finger.

"Too bad. It's for her."

Sienna covered her mouth, her eyes filling with delighted tears.

The man who'd scrambled to his feet walked right past me and bowed respectfully to her.

"Luna."

Cornell didn't correct him.

Instead, he drew Sienna into his arms and kissed her.

The others immediately began addressing her as Luna too. Phones appeared, and camera flashes lit up the room one after another.

I stood outside their circle, clutching my aching chest, too humiliated to raise my head.

For one terrible moment, I'd actually believed him. I'd believed he wanted me.

I kept wiping at my face, but the tears wouldn't stop.

When Cornell finally pulled away from Sienna, he glanced in my direction before lowering his head to smooth her hair.

The party didn't end until 1:00 a.m.

Cornell settled into the car with Sienna in his arms, then lowered the window.

"Walk back to the estate," he said.

I stared at him.

"Take the old mountain pass road," he continued. "And don't forget to pay your respects at the accident memorial. Iris, I wouldn't want you getting too comfortable."

The driver lowered his eyes and quietly shut the door he'd opened for me.

Moments later, the taillights disappeared into the rain.

1:00 in the morning.

The exact hour the accident had happened three years ago.

Even now, I still woke from nightmares at that time.

I began the eight-mile walk home, making my way through deserted streets and along the cold, rain-soaked mountain road.

When I reached the accident memorial, I stopped.

Carmelita's name was engraved in the second row.

I gazed at it for a long moment before whispering, "Just a few more days."

By 5:00 a.m., I'd been knocking on the estate door for what felt like an eternity.

Cornell finally opened it, shirtless.

His gaze dropped briefly to the water dripping from the hem of my dress. Then he stepped aside.

"Go give Sienna a bath. She's tired."

I gripped the doorframe with one hand. The other clutched the rain-soaked surgery form inside my bag.

'Just a few more days, Cornell. Then I won't owe you anything anymore.'

I lowered my head and walked past him.